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Brianna Evelo has been “doodling” all her life. Her parents, Thomas and Keri, were even called into school once to talk about her constant habit of drawing during class. Now her passion …
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Brianna Evelo has been “doodling” all her life. Her parents, Thomas and Keri, were even called into school once to talk about her constant habit of drawing during class. Now her passion is paying off.
The junior at Powell High School won the 2021 state Junior Duck Stamp art contest, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her painting of a northern pintail duck now heads to the national competition in Washington.
The project was done with oil paints, her first-ever attempt in the medium. She was encouraged to use the medium by PHS teacher, Jim Gilman.
“I love all the details and textures on birds,” Evelo said in a Tuesday interview. “Birds are really pretty creatures.”
Interestingly, Evelo has never seen a pintail in real life. Her references for the species came solely from browsing the web.
This is the second time she entered the competition. Last year she received an honorable mention for her entry.
About 80 Powell students entered the contest. It’s required for three classes taught by Gilman and optional for advanced students.
“It helps spread the word and gets them excited about conservation efforts,” he said. “And it’s the perfect assignment for learning about color.”
The teacher said Brianna — who has won several awards through the past few years — is an inspiration to her classmates.
“She does magnificent things, including sculptures, painting and drawing,” Gilman said. “She’s an incredible artist and extremely dedicated.”
Students from kindergarten through grade 12 are encouraged to participate in the annual art and conservation contest, which is a part of the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. Due to the pandemic, the national contest will be held virtually on April 16.
Evelo’s mother, Keri, said there are several artists in the family, but she is not one of them.
“I can do a really mean stick figure and a rectangle prism pretty good but I’m not an artist,” Keri said.
The proud mother and para-educator at Southside Elementary School is constantly amazed by her daughter’s talent and passion.
“It’s amazing how she sees things,” Keri said. “We’ve always encouraged her.”
It makes buying Christmas and birthday presents for Brianna easy.
“We always get her art supplies,” Keri said. “Although she’s a little more discerning now about what she wants. So pretty much, we just get her a gift certificate.”
